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Niners don’t expect Bowman back until mid-season

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is sacked by San Francisco 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) during the first half of the 2013 NFC Championship football game at CenturyLink Field. (Steven Bisig/USA TODAY Sports)

The San Francisco 49ers don’t expect NaVorro Bowman to return until the middle of next season.

So said 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh Thursday at the NFL scouting combine.

One of the NFL’s most ferocious linebackers tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee on an ugly hit in a 23-17 loss at Seattle.

“Realistically, halfway through the season — something like that would be more realistic,” Harbaugh said of Bowman’s return. “But I never underestimate Navorro Bowman.”

SCHNEIDER ON CFL EXPORT: I asked Seahawks GM John Schneider about Chris Matthews, the former Winnipeg Blue Bombers wide receiver he signed earlier this week.

It wasn’t the first ex-CFLer Schneider has signed. Cornerback Brandon Browner, now on indefinite suspension for repeated positive drug tests, is the highest profile one to date.

Do the Seahawks scout the CFL more closely than other NFL teams?

“I don’t think so,” Schneider told me. “A bunch of people worked him out. We were just one of the teams that worked him out, and we hit it off. We had a good talk with him. He liked the environment. He’s from Los Angeles. He’s a big man. So it worked out.”

IT’S A PROCESS, PEOPLE: “Process.”

It’s the hippest word in NFL coaching and front-office circles this year.

Just about every one of the 28 head coaches and GMs who held news conferences Thursday said that word. Over and over, in some cases.

Paraphrased examples:

Do you plan to re-sign player so-and-so? Can’t say. It’s part of the process.

How about that Johnny Football? Like him? Can’t say. Still determining that. It’s part of the process.

Know the type of defence you’ll run this year? Can’t say till we know our 2014 personnel. Part of the process.

Chicago Bears coach Marc Trestman held his news conference on the other side of a podium backdrop from where I was situated in the media work room.

THE CLIP QUIP: Taylor Lewan from Michigan, one of the top three offensive tackles in the draft, on the most random question asked of him so far in his whirlwind 15-minute interview sessions with teams.

“I was filmed and asked how many uses you can have for a paper clip inside a minute,” said Lewan, who measured in at just over 6-foot-7. “I came up with a baker’s dozen, probably. I was still going when the minute was up.”

Lewan talked about his famous nasty streak on the field.

“I play through the whistle. That’s one of my weaknesses, too, as everybody likes to comment on. But no doubt about it, I like to play through the whistle and do whatever I can to put people in the dirt as much as possible.”

But that nastiness did not come naturally, Lewan said. When he was in Grade 4 he played cornerback in youth football — and quit.

Why?

“I didn’t like getting hit,” Lewan said.

ONE-STOP MEDICALS: Patriots coach Bill Belichick was a surprise speaker. He usually eschews news conferences at the combine.

He was in a reflective mood, saying he’s been going to combines for 30 years. Their best purpose? Medicals. Seriously.

“It’s probably the biggest thing we get out of this,” he said, “(to) have them all done at one time.”

Decades ago, teams used to fly players “back and forth … and give them 20 MRIs on their shoulder in every different city,” Belichick said.

“The medical part of it’s huge.”

After that preamble, Belichick answered questions and, as usual, provided as little insight as possible.

Earlier, the Patriots announced that Mike Lombardi — fired three weeks ago as Browns GM — had been hired as a member of the New England coaching staff. Asked why he hadn’t hired him during the five-year period when Lombardi was out of the NFL, Belichick grumped:

“We always do what we think is best for our football team.”

Thanks, coach.

CAP RISES: The team salary cap will rise from to $130 million, from $123 million, ESPN reported. That extra seven mil means everything to a few teams such as the Dallas Cowboys that have until March 11 to get under the cap.

QUOTE OF THE DAY II: Cardinals GM Steve Keim on the report in January that the Patriots before the season had “sent out feelers to gauge the feasibility” of acquiring star Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald via trade: “I was driving into work one morning and I heard the rumours about the trade, and I was trying to find someone to fire because they never called me.”

EXTRA POINTS: Keim on the success of the Seattle Seahawks’ 5-foot-10¾ passer: “Russell Wilson changed the whole mindset on shorter quarterbacks” … Colbert said one of the most important things he looks for in grading potential Steelers quarterbacks is this: “I like to watch how they perform in big moments, in challenging moments” … Jets GM John Idzik refused to discuss specific personnel decisions he must make in the next month. Such as the fate of QB Mark Sanchez, who missed the ’13 season with a separated shoulder. “We tend to let things play out, so we still have some time there,” Idzik said. “I know one thing’s for sure. Mark’s diligently handling his rehab, and we know that he’ll be ready” … Ken Whisenhunt, new coach of the Tennessee Titans, was asked far more questions about the jobs he didn’t get. Mostly about the Cleveland Browns job.